A Pastor's Plea to The President: Protect the Poor in Budget Debate

July 7, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

First, let me thank you for the remarks made at last week's press conference where you pressed Congressional Republicans to abandon their support for the continuation of unnecessary tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans , along with oil companies and other special interests.

This evening I write to ask that during these critical budget negotiations that you do everything in your considerable power to protect programs -- such as Medicare, food stamps, and homeless prevention programs -- that support the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens.

As the faith community has said now for many years, budgets are moral documents. They reflect not just spending priorities but our highest ideals as a nation. Already in recent decades too much ground has been given away by Republicans and Democrats alike as economic policies have been enacted that have led to increased poverty and reduced services. All of this leads to suffering and falls hardest on children experiencing homelessness and the elderly who go hungry.

Any compromise with Congress that further injures those Jesus called that "least of these" would be a moral travesty. Your leadership since first taking office has been critical in this area and helped millions from falling into poverty. Now the stakes are higher, however.

As always, you are in my prayers. You face incredible challenges but we are counting on you to fight harder than ever before during your presidency to defend those that often go unheard and unseen. This is part of the mandate of those who claim the title Christian.

I stand ready to help you in whatever small ways you and your staff might find appropriate.

Your brother in Christ,

The Rev. Chuck Currie
P.O. Box 18023
Portland, Oregon 97218

 

Follow Rev. Chuck Currie on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RevChuckCurrie

Comments

[Balloon Twister]

12:28 PM on 07/12/2011

Helping the poor is honorable, but what is the meaning of poor. A healthy 24 yr old single man is capable of getting himself on his feet. Some do need help and the government alone cannot do it. It takes us as people to help. churches, organizations, volunteers, but most important it takes self to help self. You will never be able to help those who will not help themselves

[Brandino43]

06:57 PM on 07/08/2011

If the pastor would take a biblical view of helping the poor he would notice that God's plan focused on family, neighbors, and the religious community for meeting their needs - NOT the government. We have abdicated our responsibility and privilege of care to an entity which is burdensome, costly, and without compassion. The twenty dollars in my wallet can be used immediately to meet twenty dollars of need with compassion for my fellow-man. Twenty dollars from my wallet paid in taxes must be collected, distributed, used to cover the costs of collection and distribution, and then what's left can be given to someone I don't know without any personal expression of caring.

[Wade Meyer]

11:29 PM on 07/07/2011

Where is your plea for the unborn? You have the gall to tell the wealthy fork over more and more money to the government! The poor are ALWAYS going to be with us. How naive. The wealthy provide jobs not the poor. What is your church doing for the poor if anything? How is your church going to support the poor if the wealthy give 10% of less and less? You are lukewarm you will be spat out. You should be minding your own business which is supposed to be telling people where they can find eternal life.

[grammasher]

11:36 AM on 07/08/2011

You call yourself a Christian? The wealthy aren't giving 10%, and they've been making more and more. What planet do you live on? Not to mention, what about that unborn who becomes born? Do they no longer count once they're born? I am prolife, but your attitude is immoral. What do you suggest we do with the poor, leave them to die on the streets? I believe Jesus said it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

[Cathy Moore Casper]

07:18 PM on 07/07/2011

Thank you, Rev. Currie, for being a religious voice of reason. I so appreciate that in this age of histrionics by some and oddball behavior by others (Fred Phelps and the guy who burned the Koran after putting it on trial?!). We need to hear you and the Christian community needs more like you. Yes, as Christians, let us stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves: the poor, elderly, children. I learned as a teenager that is what we, as Christians, were suppose to do. We can be their voice. Thank you. Pres. Obama, I second Rev. Currie and offer myself to help wherever I can.